"Now, shall we begin?" -- rabbitprincess in 2014, part 4

"I am better."
"At what?"
"Everything."



As you may have guessed, this challenge is based on the filmography of Benedict Cumberbatch. Each category is named after a film, TV show or radio show he appeared in. The theme for this thread is Star Trek into Darkness, in honour of my recent visit to Fan Expo Canada.

Sherlock / Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy: Mysteries / Thrillers
Cabin Pressure: The Cabin Pressure episode reading challenge
Parade's End / To the Ends of the Earth: Military / Naval books
Fortysomething: General fiction
Starter for Ten: General non-fiction (anything is useful in trivia)
Amazing Grace: History
Van Gogh: Painted with Words: The arts
Star Trek Into Darkness / The Hobbit: Sci-fi / Fantasy
Hawking: Science
Neverwhere: Audiobooks
August: Osage County: Plays
Dunkirk: Livres en français (this one was a stretch…it’s set in France)
Third Star: Rereads (these can overlap with other categories)

Bonus Challenges

RandomCAT

January: (The Janus Rules) The Picture of Dorian Gray, by Oscar Wilde
February: (Children's Literature) The Enchanted Castle, by E. Nesbit
March: (The First Birds of Spring) The Pelican Brief, by John Grisham
April: (Poetry Corner) Coke Machine Glow, by Gord Downie
May: (Motherhood) Rocket Girl: The Story of Mary Sherman Morgan, America's First Female Rocket Scientist, by George D. Morgan
June: (Roses) The Price of the King's Peace, by Nigel Tranter (Kings Macc Rose)
July: (Books About Books) The Sayers Swindle, by Victoria Abbott; possibly a crime-fiction-related book
August: (Back to School) The Case of the Gilded Fly, by Edmund Crispin; Napoleon's Buttons, by Penny Le Couteur
September: (TIFF Book Club) A Briefer History of Time, by Stephen Hawking
October: (Book Bullets) I Married a Dead Man, by Cornell Woolrich
November: (Mayday! Mayday!) The Martian, by Andy Weir
December: (When You Wish Upon a Star) Dead Man's Mirror, by Agatha Christie

GeoCAT

January -- Canada and the US: Sunshine Sketches of a Little Town, by Stephen Leacock
February -- Middle East and North Africa: Jerusalem: The Biography, by Simon Sebag Montefiore
March -- Central America, Mexico and Caribbean: The Republic of Pirates, by Colin Woodard
April -- Eastern Europe: The Last Frontier, by Alistair MacLean
May -- South Asia: The Bridge on the River Kwai, by Pierre Boulle
June -- Islands and Bodies of Water: Rilla of Ingleside, by L.M. Montgomery
July -- Polar Regions: Le Sphinx des glaces, by Jules Verne
August -- Western Europe: An Officer and a Spy, by Robert Harris
September -- East Asia (China, Japan, etc.): none
October -- South America: The Lost City of Z, by David Grann
November -- Australia and Oceania: Vintage Murder, by Ngaio Marsh
December -- Sub-Saharan Africa: Mrs Pollifax on Safari, by Dorothy Gilman

MysteryCAT

January -- Detective novels: The Drowning Pool, by Ross MacDonald; The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
February -- Series: McNally's Luck, by Lawrence Sanders (Archy McNally); In the Woods, by Tana French (Dublin Murder Squad)
March -- Young Adult and Childrens' mysteries: The Clue of the Broken Blade, by Franklin W. Dixon
April -- Nordic mysteries: Black Skies, by Arnaldur Indridason
May -- Classic and Golden Age mysteries - A Bullet in the Ballet, by Caryl Brahms and S.J. Simon
June -- Police Procedurals: The Laughing Policeman, by Maj Sjöwall and Per Wahlöö
July -- Noir and Hard-boiled: Set in Darkness, by Ian Rankin; Red Planet Blues, by Robert J. Sawyer
August - British mysteries: The Case of the Gilded Fly, by Edmund Crispin
September -- Book-themed mysteries: Unprintable, by Julie Kaewert
October -- Global mysteries: Maigret and the Hundred Gibbets, by Georges Simenon
November -- Historical mysteries: Beware This Boy, by Maureen Jennings
December -- Cozy mysteries: Death at Sandringham House, by CC Benison

And if you're interested in following my ROOT adventures, my thread is here: http://www.librarything.com/topic/162069

Sherlock / Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy - Mysteries / Thrillers





Sub-challenges:
✓ One Sherlock Holmes book: The Valley of Fear, The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes, His Last Bow, The Return of Sherlock Holmes
- One John le Carré novel

Books read:

1. Laidlaw, by William McIlvanney
2. Rumpole at Christmas, by John Mortimer
3. Dying Light, by Stuart MacBride
4. Charity, by Len Deighton
5. Dead People, by Ewart Hutton
6. The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
7. The Christie Curse, by Victoria Abbott
8. Death in a White Tie, by Ngaio Marsh
9. Before the Fact, by Francis Iles
10. An April Shroud, by Reginald Hill
11. The Clue of the Broken Blade, by Franklin W. Dixon
12. The Sudden Arrival of Violence, by Malcolm MacKay
13. The Cold Cold Ground, by Adrian McKinty
14. The Secret Ways, by Alistair MacLean (aka The Last Frontier)
15. The Beautiful Mystery, by Louise Penny
16. A Tap on the Window, by Linwood Barclay
17. The Pelican Brief, by John Grisham
18. The Killings at Badger's Drift, by Caroline Graham
19. The Sayers Swindle, by Victoria Abbott
20. Set in Darkness, by Ian Rankin
21. Bleed a River Deep, by Brian McGilloway
22. The Case of the Gilded Fly, by Edmund Crispin
23. Entry Island, by Peter May
24. Rendezvous in Black, by Cornell Woolrich
25. He Who Fears the Wolf, by Karin Fossum
26. Maigret and the Hundred Gibbets, by Georges Simenon (translated by Tony White)
27. The Field of Blood, by Denise Mina
28. I Married a Dead Man, by Cornell Woolrich (writing as William Irish)
29. The Guards, by Ken Bruen
30. Vintage Murder, by Ngaio Marsh
31. The Lake District Murder, by John Bude
32. One Under, by Graham Hurley
33. Strange Loyalties, by William McIlvanney
34. Dead Man's Mirror, by Agatha Christie
35. Pictures of Perfection, by Reginald Hill
36. The Far Side of the Dollar, by Ross Macdonald

Cabin Pressure - The CABIN PRESSURE EPISODE CHALLENGE



In this category I'll be reading books at least tangentially related to the episode titles of "Cabin Pressure". Books listed here can overlap with the rest of the challenge.

✓ Abu Dhabi - oil, resource extraction, F1 - To Hell and Back, by Niki Lauda
Boston - Erle Stanley Gardner (resident of Boston): Black Mass
✓ Cremona - Italy, Zen, something Latin - Empire: The Novel of Imperial Rome, by Steven Saylor
✓ Douz - set in the desert, about the desert - Jerusalem: The Biography, by Simon Sebag Montefiore
✓ Edinburgh - set in Edinburgh - Quite Ugly One Morning, by Christopher Brookmyre
✓ Fitton - Fitton is a fictional town "west of Daventry" - book set in a fictional town - The Dead in Their Vaulted Arches, by Alan Bradley
✓ Gdansk - WW2 - The Monuments Men: Allied Heroes, Nazi Thieves, and the Greatest Treasure Hunt in History, by Robert M. Edsel
✓ Helsinki - a book about sisters: What Ever Happened to Baby Jane, by Henry Farrell
✓ Ipswich - Us: A Novel, by David Nicholls - protagonist grew up in Ipswich
Johannesburg - S. Africa book, safari, Born Free?
✓ Kuala Lumpur - pub-related book - Jamaica Inn, by Daphne du Maurier - the episode is about a secret pub ("the Flap and Throttle")
✓ Limerick - set in or about Ireland - In the Woods, by Tana French
✓ Molokai - Christmas book or tropical setting - A Little Yuletide Murder, by Jessica Fletcher and Donald Bain
Newcastle - The Englishman's Daughter, by Ben Macintyre (originally published as A Foreign Field, adapted into a radio drama starring Tom Goodman-Hill, who stood in for Benedict in this episode)
✓ Ottery St. Mary - books about or set in Devon, or maybe an Agatha since she lived in Devon: Towards Zero, by Agatha Christie
✓ Paris - set in/about Paris or France - An Officer and a Spy, by Robert Harris
✓ Qikiqtarjuaq - Northern Canada or Iceland, which is just a few degrees south of Q. Lots of Iceland series to choose from. Black Skies, by Arnaldur Indridason (Reykjavik Murder Mystery series)
✓ Rotterdam - something acting-related, since the episode is about MJN Air making a safety video - A Bullet in the Ballet, by Caryl Brahms and S.J. Simon
St Petersburg - Tolstoy? Gogol? Something else Russian Russka, by Edward Rutherfurd
✓ Timbuktu - story involving codes: The Invisible Code, by Christopher Fowler
✓ Uskerty - Ireland pt. 2 (and/or Northern Ireland): The Nameless Dead, by Brian McGilloway
✓ Vaduz - Ludmila, a Legend of Lichtenstein, by Paul Gallico
✓ Wokingham - dysfunctional family: The Drowning Pool, by Ross Macdonald
✓ Xinzhou - China: (Mrs Pollifax on the China Station, by Dorothy Gilman
✓ Yverdon-les-Bains - professional development book - Don't Make Me Think, Revisited, by Steve Krug
✓ Zurich - the final book in a series - Light Thickens, by Ngaio Marsh

Parade’s End / To the Ends of the Earth: Military / Naval books





Sub-challenges:
✓ The Good Soldier, by Ford Madox Ford
- A Hornblower book OR an Aubrey/Maturin book

Books read:

1. Scottish Battles, by John Sadler
2. Rifleman Dodd, by C.S. Forester
3. The Good Soldier, by Ford Madox Ford
4. The Bridge Over the River Kwai, by Pierre Boulle (trans. Xan Fielding)
5. The Yellow Birds, by Kevin Powers
6. Five Dead Canaries, by Edward Marston (I'm counting it here because I read it for the WW1 munitions factory aspect)
7. Pied Piper, by Nevil Shute
8. Beware This Boy, by Maureen Jennings

Fortysomething - General fiction



Books read:

1. One Day, by David Nicholls
2. Sunshine Sketches of a Little Town, by Stephen Leacock
3. Bleak House, by Charles Dickens
4. The Three Musketeers, by Alexandre Dumas
5. Breakheart Pass, by Alistair MacLean
6. The Night the Rich Men Burned, by Malcolm MacKay
7. Airframe, by Michael Crichton
8. The Fourth Protocol, by Frederick Forsyth
9. The Arabian Nights, ed. Orton Lowe
10. A Tale Etched in Blood and Hard Black Pencil, by Christopher Brookmyre
11. The Lost World, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Starter for 10 - General non-fiction (everything's useful in trivia)



Books read:

1. Father Knows Zilch: A Guide for Dumbfounded Dads, by Linwood Barclay
2. American on Purpose: The Improbable Adventures of an Unlikely Patriot, by Craig Ferguson
3. It's a Don's Life, by Mary Beard
4. Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mt. Everest Disaster, by Jon Krakauer
5. Thanks for the Feedback: The Science and Art of Receiving Feedback Well, by Douglas Stone and Sharon Heen
6. The Curmudgeon's Guide to Getting Ahead, by Charles Murray
7. Cubed: A Secret History of the Workplace, by Nikil Saval
8. The Design of Everyday Things, by Donald A. Norman
9. The Lost City of Z: A Tale of Deadly Obsession in the Amazon, by David Grann
10. Being Wrong: Adventures in the Margin of Error, by Kathryn Schulz
11. League of Denial, by Mark Fainaru-Wada and Steve Fainaru
12. So, Anyway..., by John Cleese

Amazing Grace - History



Sub-challenge:
- Biography of William Pitt the Younger

Books read:
1. The Path of the Hero King, by Nigel Tranter
2. The Republic of Pirates, by Colin Woodard
3. The Secret Rooms, by Catherine Bailey
4. Northern Ireland: The Reluctant Peace, by Feargal Cochrane
5. The Price of the King's Peace, by Nigel Tranter
6. The Last House of Ulster: A Family in Belfast, by Charles Foran
7. The Norman Conquest, by Marc Morris
8. Laws in Conflict, by Cora Harrison
9. The State of Quebec: A Journalist's View of the Quiet Revolution, by Peter Desbarats
10. A Spy Among Friends, by Ben Macintyre

Van Gogh: Painted with Words - Art, the arts (books about books, literature, TV, movies, whatever)



✓ Sub-challenge: a book about art, the Impressionists, Van Gogh, etc.

1. The Picture of Dorian Gray, by Oscar Wilde
2. Ten Years in the Tub: A Decade Soaking in Great Books, by Nick Hornby
3. Agatha Christie's Secret Notebooks, by John Curran
4. Mr Mac and Me, by Esther Freud (about Charles Rennie Mackintosh)

Star Trek into Darkness / The Hobbit (SFF)





✓ Sub-challenges: A Star Trek-related book, either fiction or non

Books read:

1. Summer Falls and Other Stories, by Amelia Williams
2. Doctor Who and the Planet of the Spiders, by Terrance Dicks
3. Doctor Who and the Seeds of Doom, by Philip Hinchcliffe
4. Broken Homes, by Ben Aaronovitch
5. Shada: The Lost Adventure, by Gareth Roberts
6. Doctor Who and the Brain of Morbius, by Terrance Dicks
7. The Dalek Generation, by Nicholas Briggs
8. Red Planet Blues, by Robert J. Sawyer
9. Star Trek: The Next Generation / Doctor Who: Assimilation2, Volume 1, by Scott Tipton
10. Lock In, by John Scalzi
11. Jackaby, by William Ritter

Hawking - Science



✓ Sub-challenge: pick one of the following: A Brief History of Time, Black Holes and Baby Universes, My Brief History (Hawking's autobiography)

Books read:
1. The Disappearing Spoon: And Other True Tales of Madness, Love, and the History of the World from the Periodic Table of the Elements, by Sam Kean
2. Rocket Girl: The Story of Mary Sherman Morgan, America's First Female Rocket Scientist, by George D. Morgan
3. Cascadia's Fault: The Coming Earthquake and Tsunami That Could Devastate North America, by Jerry Thompson
4. The Science of Sherlock Holmes: From Baskerville Hall to the Valley of Fear, the Real Forensics Behind the Great Detective's Greatest Cases by E. J. Wagner
5. The Science of Doctor Who, by Paul Parsons
6. Bad Science, by Ben Goldacre
7. A Briefer History of Time, by Stephen Hawking (a more accessible version of A Brief History of Time)
8. Napoleon's Buttons: 17 Molecules That Changed History, by Penny Le Couteur

Neverwhere - Audiobooks -- COMPLETED



Bonus James McAvoy! :D

Candidates (as of Aug 23/2013):
- At Home: A Short History of Private Life, by Bill Bryson
- Three Men in a Boat, by Jerome K. Jerome (read by Hugh Laurie)
- I Am America (And So Can You!), by Stephen Colbert
- Things I Overheard While Talking to Myself, by Alan Alda
- Never Have Your Dog Stuffed: And Other Things I've Learned, by Alan Alda
- The Mission Song, by John le Carré
- Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency, by Douglas Adams (full-cast dramatization)
- Doctor Who: Vengeance of the Stones, by Andrew Smith
- Doctor Who: Blackout / The Art of Death, by James Goss / Oli Smith
- Doctor Who: Darkstar Academy / The Day of the Cockroach, by Mark Morris / Steve Lyons
- Star Trek Into Darkness, by Alan Dean Foster (read by Alice Eve)

Also refer to my audio tag.

Books read:

1. The Body in the Library, by Agatha Christie (read by Stephanie Cole)
2. Murder by Moonlight and Other Mysteries, by Anthony Boucher (featuring Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce)

August: Osage County - Plays -- COMPLETED



Books read:

1. Twelfth Night, by William Shakespeare
2. Journey's End, by R.C. Sherriff
3. Richard II, by William Shakespeare

Dunkirk - Livres en français (this was a stretch... it's set in France??) -- COMPLETED



1. Le Sphinx des glaces, par Jules Verne
2. La grammaire est une chanson douce, par Erik Orsenna

Possibilités
- Cinq semaines en ballon, par Jules Verne
- Sous les vents de Neptune, par Fred Vargas
- Debout les morts, par Fred Vargas

Third Star - Rereads -- COMPLETED



This was a successful category last year, so I want to make sure I keep making time for the books I’ve enjoyed before.

1. The Everly Brothers: Walk Right Back, by Roger White
2. McNally's Luck, by Lawrence Sanders
3. The Enchanted Castle, by E. Nesbit
4. The Laughing Policeman, by Maj Sjöwall and Per Wahlöö
5. Coke Machine Glow, by Gordon Downie
6. Unprintable, by Julie Kaewert

7. Death at Sandringham House, by C.C. Benison

August recap:

This was a bit of a light month. Didn't get as much reading done as I would have liked. "Only" seven books.

Cubed: A Secret History of the Workplace, by Nikil Saval
The Case of the Gilded Fly, by Edmund Crispin
To Hell and Back, by Niki Lauda
Entry Island, by Peter May
Laws in Conflict, by Cora Harrison
Rendezvous in Black, by Cornell Woolrich
He Who Fears the Wolf, by Karin Fossum

My favourite was probably Entry Island, although He Who Fears the Wolf is a close second because it made me want to read the next book in the series immediately. The only really bad book was The Case of the Gilded Fly, which I didn't actually finish; I looked up the ending on Wikipedia.

September plans:

GeoCAT: Your Republic is Calling You
(also Le Sphinx des glaces, carryover from Jul, and An Officer and a Spy, carryover from August)
MysteryCAT: Unprintable
RandomCAT: A Brief History of Time

Other category challenge books:
Born Free, by Joy Adamson (Cabin Pressure "Johannesburg")
A Perfect Spy, by John le Carre (Le Carre subchallenge)

Happy new thread!

It's so nice to see the pictures again. Happy new thread!

Happy new thread! After seeing your comments in the last thread, I'm really looking forward to reading more Cornell Woolrich.

Happy new thread! Your seven books in August sure beat my measly three :)

Part 4 already! Very nice.

I love reviewing the books that someone has read when they start a new thread. And try not to take more BBs. Happy new thread!

Happy new thread!! I managed five in August, so I need to get a bit of a move on - can't believe it's already September! :)

Love the new thread.... the re-visit of the Cumberbatch pics was also very nice! ;-)

>23 lkernagh: What she said!!!

>16 mstrust: Thanks! :)

>17 MissWatson: I enjoy seeing them again too!

>18 mathgirl40: Hurray! I hope you like Rendezvous in Black.

>19 paruline: I hope you get more reading time soon!

>20 mysterymax: Thanks! :)

>21 dudes22: Indeed, that's one of my favourite parts of a new thread as well.

>22 -Eva-: I know eh! Seriously! Where the heck did three-quarters of the year go?

>23 lkernagh:, >24 mamzel: Hee hee, glad to oblige!

****

So it has been a very busy weekend for me. I attended Fan Expo Canada in Toronto for the very first time. It was a lot to take in: lots of things to see, do and buy, and lots of people to meet! Doctor Who fans in particular would have a blast at Fan Expo because there is so much related to the show. And this year, fans of The Walking Dead were treated to several guest stars from the show. Here are the highlights of my weekend.

Friday I attended Q and As with Matt Smith and Arthur Darvill. Both were very entertaining. A guy proposed to his girlfriend at Matt's Q and A, and Matt signed the ring box and took a picture with them. Arthur was adorably overwhelmed at how many people were there to see him, and he told some good stories. I also got a photo op with Matt later on in the day.

Matt Smith photo op

Saturday I met David Morrissey! I got my copy of "The Next Doctor" signed and he was super nice. ("Ah, a Doctor Who fan!" he said when I came up to the booth. I imagine he had a LOT of Walking Dead fans who knew him only from that show.) Then I met Paulina at the Murdoch Mysteries panel (you can refer to her thread for details and pics) and we exchanged books. She loaned me I Married a Dead Man, by Cornell Woolrich. And later on I got a photo op with David. He remembered me from earlier and asked if I'd been enjoying my day, which I thought was a lovely question. In the photo itself, I blinked and had to do it again, which is probably why I'm grinning so hard in the actual photo. :D

David Morrissey photo op

Sunday I attended a Walking Dead Q and A featuring David, Danai Gurira (Michonne), Michael Rooker (Merle), Norman Reedus (Daryl) and Lauren Cohan (Maggie). It was the only Q and A where they did not let the audience ask questions, but it was probably just as well because there were some boisterous fans in the audience shouting things out. The moderator was an unusual choice: the Toronto Star's theatre critic, who apparently is a big fan of TWD. Would not have guessed that! The other major event of the day was getting a photo with Sir Patrick Stewart! He is just as awesome as you would expect, and he liked my "100% Rebel Time Lord" t-shirt.

Patrick Stewart photo op

I still haven't recovered all my sleep yet, and probably won't for the next little while. Also, my feet are not entirely on speaking terms with me. There was a LOT of waiting in lines!

I also haven't been doing much reading or reviewing... here's my last review from August.

He Who Fears the Wolf, by Karin Fossum

Category: Sherlock / TTSS
Source: Christmas present
Rating: 4/5
Review: http://www.librarything.com/review/70474166

I'm glad Roberta decided to read this one so that I could tag along -- it was just the ticket to cure a small reading funk. I've been getting mired in several books lately, but this one held my interest right away and made me want to pick up the next installment of the series immediately!

>25 rabbitprincess: It looks like you had a fantastic time and I won't lie: I am so jealous of your photo ops!

Love the photo ops and super jealous that you got to meet Patrick Stewart. As much as I enjoyed his portrayal of Jean Luc Picarad, I really enjoyed his roll in the X-men franchise movies. I understand he is a fantastic stage performer as well.

Oh - Patrick Steward - oh!

You've had your arm around David Morrissey!
I'm surprised at how professional those pictures were, as I was expected just the lean-over-the-table kind, but you've got some nice photos to frame. Congrats!

>25 rabbitprincess:: Nice photos, sleep is overrated anyway :)

Looks and sounds like you had a great time at the Fan Expo, RP, color me a little green with envy!

Excellent photo ops!!

>26 Tanya-dogearedcopy: It was a great time!

>27 lkernagh: He is a great stage performer. I particularly enjoy his Claudius in David Tennant's Hamlet. He also played Macbeth in a version that moves the action to some sort of Stalinist/Castro-ist dystopia, and he even has a small role as John of Gaunt in the Ben Whishaw version of Richard II (Part 1 of "The Hollow Crown").

>28 mysterymax: Indeed!

>29 mstrust: Also, vice-versa! :D Figured you'd appreciate that!

And yes these were proper official photo ops for which I purchased tickets in advance. They had professional photographers who knew what they were doing. Some people did the selfies-at-the-autograph-table thing, but I don't take good selfies (both in the sense of "I can't actually take the picture properly" and "I look terrible in selfies"), so I decided it would be nicer to just chat during the autograph signing and enjoy the moment. Also sometimes they don't let you take pictures at the table and I didn't want to be rebuffed.

>30 electrice: Thanks! And yes I think I'll sleep when I'm dead.

>31 DeltaQueen50: Sure did! :)

>32 -Eva-: Thanks! The photographer did a good job. Very glad I am not blinking.

Patrick Stewart! Be still, my heart.

J.E.A.L.O.U.S. You know, in a good way :)

Great pictures! What a fun time you must have had.

Those FanExpo photos are great, especially the one with Patrick Stewart!

Love the pics! I can see we will all be fighting over Patrick Stewart here. ;)

>34 paruline: Hahaha :)

>35 LittleTaiko: I did indeed! I don't know if I'd make a habit of going, but depending on the guests it might be worth my while.

>36 mathgirl40: He is pretty awesome!

>37 cbl_tn: Haha! Go for it! Meanwhile I think mstrust and I will be fighting over David Morrissey ;)

****

Last weekend my parents went up to Parry Sound for the day while I was at Fan Expo, and visited Bearly Used Books, which is one of their favourite bookstores. I gave them a box of books to hand over for store credit and a list of books to look for on my behalf. They managed to find the following:

Richard II, by William Shakespeare
Henry IV, Part 1, by William Shakespeare
Henry IV, Part 2, by William Shakespeare

After watching "The Hollow Crown", I wanted to read the source material. I also ended up buying the DVD at HMV. Richard II is my favourite of the bunch.

Then when I was in Toronto on Thursday, I stopped by the BMV on Bloor (it was hot and I needed air con) and purchased the following:

Henry V, by William Shakespeare (Hollow Crown quadrilogy complete!)
Meet Me at the Morgue, by Ross Macdonald
Fear is the Key, by Alistair MacLean (pleasingly filed under "adventure fiction")
Twenty-Six, by Leo McKay Jr.

****

Reading is a bit slow these days but I am still trying. Currently working on Unprintable, by Julie Kaewert, for the September MysteryCAT. I also have to write a review for An Officer and a Spy, which I finally finished a couple of days ago.

>38 rabbitprincess: You grab one arm and I'll grab the other!

Sorry ladies we may have to divide David Morrissey into three!

>39 mstrust: Bahaha! That would have made an interesting photo op :P

>40 DeltaQueen50: How about a time-share arrangement?!
(Also, yay! Another DM fan!)

Finally finished a review of another book:

An Officer and a Spy, by Robert Harris

Category: Cabin Pressure, ep "Paris"
Source: Chaptigo
Rating: 3/5
Review: http://www.librarything.com/review/106936914

When I first received this book, I was taken aback by how heavy it was. That feeling never really went away when I read it. It was painful to hold, so I couldn't read for extended periods of time. I was also distracted by the use of first person present tense to narrate the story, although that could be more of a personal preference.

Closing out my rereads category:

Unprintable, by Julie Kaewert

Category: Third Star
Source: Friends of Library and Archives book sale
Rating: 2/5
Review: http://www.librarything.com/review/70443832

I wish I could be witty and say that my response to this book is unprintable, but I did not dislike it strongly enough for that. It's just overly repetitive and full of Had I But Knowns. This is probably going back to the book sale.

Good for you that you've finished a category, sorry that it was an annoying one.

>44 mstrust: Ehh, it's OK. It will end up releasing a total of five books from my shelves, which is a good thing as I bought five books today :P

****

Went to another BMV location in Toronto today: the one on Edward St., next to where the World's Biggest Bookstore used to be. It's my usual BMV location because it's also close to the Eaton Centre. Anyway, I scored the following:

Gideon's Art, by JJ Marric
Gideon's Ride, by JJ Marric
Gideon's River, by JJ Marric
Players, by Terrance Dicks (a Doctor Who 50th Anniversary novel featuring the Sixth Doctor)
The Seven-Percent Solution, by Nicholas Meyer

Now I have a total of eight Gideons on my TBR; the first in series I really enjoyed, so I've been stockpiling the rest of them whenever I see them. And The Seven-Percent Solution is on one of those Top 100 Crime Novels lists, so that's a very old entry on the wishlist checked off!

I also managed to find a copy of the Michael Caine version of The Italian Job, which makes me very happy. I've been wanting to tape it off the television, but the only version the TV seems to show is the remake.

****

It's startling how little general fiction I've read this year (or rather, how little of it has made its way to my General Fiction category... there might be some in my Cabin Pressure challenge). Here's a review of a general fiction book I did manage to read.

Breakheart Pass, by Alistair MacLean

Category: Fortysomething
Source: Xmas gift 2013
Rating: 3.5/5
Review: http://www.librarything.com/review/104608155

Alistair MacLean doing a Western? Of course I was sold on it! Thinking I'm going to have to reread it though; I've been in a weird reading mood and was not able to give it my full attention. But I am looking forward to seeing the movie, which my library has ordered (and which is why I read the book now).

I found the best book for one of my Cabin Pressure category slots!

Ludmila, a Legend of Liechtenstein, by Paul Gallico

Category: Cabin Pressure, ep "Vaduz"
Source: probably belonged to my uncle or aunt
Rating: 3/5
Review: http://www.librarything.com/review/112511266

This is a very short read and certainly unique. Not sure what else I can say about it.

I really liked Ludmilla when I read it four years ago. My edition has beautiful drawings in it as well, whihc was a bonus :D.

>47 Samantha_kathy: Yay! I'm glad someone else has heard of it :) It was quite a surprising discovery in my bookshelves, and fit so perfectly in my challenge!

****

A couple more reviews:

Dead Souls, by Ian Rankin

Category: Sherlock / TTSS
Source: borrowed from parents
Rating: 4/5
Review: http://www.librarything.com/review/112076419

I ended up reading this one right after its successor, Set in Darkness, and really enjoyed it. In addition to the present-day narrative, this book provides a glimpse into Rebus's teenage years and reflections on roads not taken.

A Briefer History of Time, by Stephen Hawking

Category: Hawking, subchallenge "read a book by Stephen Hawking"
Source: Overdrive
Rating: 3/5
Review: http://www.librarything.com/review/112305165

I read this for the September RandomCAT (to tie in with The Theory of Everything, which by the way is fantastic) and it did its job. As usual with books about physics and the universe, I liked the planetary stuff better than the relativity or string theory stuff. That's personal, though, and should not be a reflection on the book.

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While we're planning October reads, I've set up a thread for a group read of Rob Roy, by Sir Walter Scott, if you're interested: http://www.librarything.com/topic/180434

I discovered it when I was looking for a book set in Lichtenstein for my Europe Endless/Reading Globally Challenge. Never would have found it otherwise :D.

>49 Samantha_kathy: That would be challenging to find!

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More reviews!

Maigret and the Hundred Gibbets, by Georges Simenon (translated by Tony White)

Category: Sherlock / TTSS
Source: EVM
Rating: 4/5
Review: http://www.librarything.com/review/90486875

My first Maigret and not my last. It's more about following Maigret around while he figures out what the heck is going on with this chain of events he's inadvertently set in motion, and not so much about a mystery that the reader can solve on her own, but Maigret is a pleasant fellow and the time passes quickly with him.

I read this for the October MysteryCAT two weeks early! I'm using it to offset my September GeoCAT, which will not arrive until sometime in October (darn other people borrowing my library books before I can request them!).

Le Sphinx des glaces, by Jules Verne

Category: Dunkirk (FINALLY!!!!)
Source: Overdrive
Rating: 3/5
Review: http://www.librarything.com/review/110389102

I read this for the July GeoCAT -- that's how long it's taken me to finish. I've renewed it three times from the library and even then didn't actually complete it; I just read the ending on Wikipedia. But this is not necessarily a reflection on the content of the book; it just takes me forever to read books in French, especially on the iPad, where they can't nag me to read them like a physical book on the nightstand can.

Nice to read about your two trips to BMV. I always try to stop in when I'm in Toronto.

I've not read any Maigret yet but that's one series that I plan to start one day! I'm glad to hear it was a good read.

>51 mathgirl40: I just discovered that my parents already own one of the books I bought at BMV! Argh! I really need to get started on their catalogue :-/

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Today paruline and I met up to support the Friends of Library and Archives Canada and buy used books! I attend the sale most years, but this is the first time we've attended together. After waiting at different entrances to the building, we eventually found each other inside. The hall wasn't very big, but we managed to score a fair number of books. I bought eight:

The Good Shepherd, by C.S. Forester - if it's a Forester that isn't a Hornblower, I pick it up (the library has most of the Hornblowers already)
Hail, Hail, the Gang's All Here!, by Ed McBain - I don't think I've read this 87th Precinct novel but we shall see
The Fourth Protocol, by Frederick Forsyth - I have this earmarked for my Category Challenge
McGarr on the Cliffs of Moher, by Bartholomew Gill - I just heard of the series through the library catalogue and of course could not resist picking up this installment, since I'VE BEEN THERE
Wobble to Death, by Peter Lovesey - one of the Top 100 Mystery Novels that is not at the library
Lords of Misrule, by Nigel Tranter - it's Tranter, I pick it up. Also hurray it's the FIRST of the House of Stewart trilogy
The Black Arrow, by Robert Louis Stevenson - a children's story about the Wars of the Roses
Scotland Yard, by Sir Harold Scott - non-fiction, published in the early 1950s, found for me by my other friend who came with us

So no shortage of books around here!

I had never thought there would be an advantage to having parents who never keep their books!

And book sale with friends are the most fun.

Love a book sale, and you got some good ones. I have Wobble to Death on my shelves, and it was a sale find too.

Hi RP. Are you still planning on reading Pied Piper next month? I have pulled it down and am planning on reading it towards the beginning of the month.

>53 RidgewayGirl: Yes, I guess that would reduce the risk of duplicates! And yes it was a lot of fun to go with friends. We were all shameless enablers ;)

>54 mstrust: It's been on my list for a while, especially because the library doesn't have it. My edition is a TV tie-in; I didn't realize that (a) it was part of a series and (b) that BBC had adapted it.

>55 DeltaQueen50: I am indeed! Was going to message you and ask the same thing! It's in my on-deck pile.

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Managed to blow the dust off some of my really long-standing reads and review them:

Murder by Moonlight and Other Mysteries, by Anthony Boucher

Category: Neverwhere
Source: audio CDs
Rating: 3/5
Review: http://www.librarything.com/review/106491099

This is a collection of Holmes and Watson adventures recorded during the Second World War. I liked Holmes but was not as fond of Watson. Still, the overall atmosphere was good and I'd recommend it if you like Rathbone and Bruce.

The State of Quebec: A Journalist's View of the Quiet Revolution, by Peter Desbarats

Category: Amazing Grace
Source: EVM
Rating: not rated
Review: http://www.librarything.com/review/88387405

I read this for Go Review That Book but was unable to finish it. It's an interesting historical curiosity, but a bit on the dry side. Would make good source material if you're researching that sort of thing.

>56 rabbitprincess: I am looking forward to reading the Pied Piper, I saw the movie years ago but barely remember it.

>57 DeltaQueen50: Would be interesting to compare the two!

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I am eyeing a teetering stack of library books -- since I came back from vacation, my library holds have returned in full force. I've managed to finish two and have another six to get through, with more on the way. And of course this weekend I am going to drop all of them and read my latest acquisition, Mr Mac and Me, Esther Freud's most recent book. It's about Charles Rennie Mackintosh and the First World War, which sounds very interesting.

Reviews of my library books:

Jamaica Inn, by Daphne du Maurier

Category: Cabin Pressure, ep "Kuala Lumpur" (the episode is about a pub)
Source: library
Rating: 4.5/5
Review: http://www.librarything.com/review/116422962 LINK UPDATED FEB 21, 2015

I was swept away by this book and now want to visit Cornwall!

Update Feb 21, 2015: bought my own copy!

The Design of Everyday Things, by Donald A. Norman

Category: Starter for 10
Source: library
Rating: 4/5
Review: http://www.librarything.com/review/112624813

My favourite chapter in this book was the one on human error and how systems should be better designed to prevent this type of error from occurring. Overall it was very interesting and I enjoyed the examples of bad design.

Good review of Jamaica Inn. I read Rebecca when I was in grade school and loved it. It was the first thing like it I'd ever read.

>59 cammykitty: Thanks! I think I might have liked it even more in grade school. It's a very adventuresome book.

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Two more reviews to close out the month, and then the September recap.

The Field of Blood, by Denise Mina

Category: Sherlock / TTSS
Source: library, via Overdrive
Rating: 4/5
Review: http://www.librarything.com/review/112542810

I found the TV adaptation of this book (featuring David Morrissey and Peter Capaldi) on iTunes, and of course I had to read the source material first. I really liked it, although I suspect some of my responses to the characters were influenced by knowing who played them in the adaptation. If you like Glasgow, this book is worth checking out.

Mr Mac and Me, by Esther Freud

Category: Van Gogh: Painted with Words
Source: Book Depository
Rating: 4/5
Review: http://www.librarything.com/review/112841156

This book arrived chez moi on September 26 and I finished it this afternoon. It focuses on Charles Rennie Mackintosh during the First World War and extensively discusses his art, which is why I included it in my art category and counted it for the subchallenge. It's certainly inspired me to read more about him. We saw a lot of his work in Glasgow last year so it's nice to have the context now. I also love the book itself. The painting on the cover is beautiful; I kept stopping periodically to look at the cover and admire it.

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September recap

This was a much better month. I read more and I finally squared away a couple of long-standing books. So I claim a total of 14 books read.

An Officer and a Spy, by Robert Harris
Unprintable, by Julie Kaewert
Breakheart Pass, by Alistair MacLean
Ludmila: A Story of Liechtenstein, by Paul Gallico
Dead Souls, by Ian Rankin
A Briefer History of Time, by Stephen Hawking
Maigret and the Hundred Gibbets, by Georges Simenon (trans. Tony White)
Le Sphinx des glaces, by Jules Verne
Jamaica Inn, by Daphne du Maurier
Murder by Moonlight and Other Mysteries, by Anthony Boucher and Denis Green
The State of Quebec: A Journalist's View of the Quiet Revolution, by Peter Desbarats
The Design of Everyday Things, by Donald A. Norman
The Field of Blood, by Denise Mina
Mr Mac and Me, by Esther Freud

My favourite book of the month was Jamaica Inn. Beautiful description and a pretty gutsy heroine. I had a pretty good run at the end of the month, too, with three 4-star reads in a row.

My least favourite book was Unprintable, which finally spurred me to get rid of the entire series. I had intended to keep them for sentimental reasons, but they're just not something I'm prepared to read again. And it's just as well that I get rid of them, because I need the space!

Of my September reading plans, I did not get around to my GeoCAT selection because someone decided to borrow it from the library before I could place a hold on it, and it still hasn't been returned yet. (It was due back on the 25th! Tsk tsk) I also did not get to read any of the books I'd set aside to read at my parents' while on vacation, because I had a bit of a reading funk. I did not, however, have a book-buying funk. There was plenty of shopping!

Currently reading

Rob Roy, by Sir Walter Scott -- group read. I've already started but have to get back to it.
Five Dead Canaries, by Edward Marston -- apparently Edward Marston has about four or five different series, and this one is set on the home front during the First World War, so I thought it would be a nice follow-up to Mr Mac and Me.
The Arabian Nights -- still plugging away at this children's version. It's actually pretty funny. I enjoy how everyone is so calm about magic and fantastical creatures in these stories.

October plans

GeoCAT: The Lost City of Z, by David Grann
MysteryCAT: I completed this one early with my Maigret. If I have time I might read another global mystery, but I'm not making any promises.
RandomCAT: I Married a Dead Man, by Cornell Woolrich
Group Read: In addition to Rob Roy, DeltaQueen50 and I are sharing a read of Pied Piper, by Nevil Shute.

And then of course I have a massive stack of library books, as always. This includes the new Ben Macintyre, A Spy Among Friends, which I'm very excited to read. October should be a fun month!

I'm reading the adult Arabian Nights. I was reading it very quickly in the beginning but put it aside because it was supposed to be a year long read. Now I'm stalled! I haven't swung by the group read in awhile.

>61 cammykitty: Same here! And I'm taking forever as well because it's my bedside book, but I don't always want to read it when I'm going to bed!

At least you both got started - my copy made it as far as the bedside table, but never got opened. :)

>63 -Eva-: It's making a good support for the other books on the bedside table that you *are* actually reading? ;) I have a couple of non-fiction bricks like that.

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Review time! Also, shoehorning book into a different category time ;)

Five Dead Canaries, by Edward Marston

Category: Parade's End / To the Ends of the Earth
Source: library
Rating: 2.5/5
Review: http://www.librarything.com/review/112641425

I read this because it involves women working in a munitions factory during the First World War, which is also why I put it in the military category. It was okay, but it was definitely not a solution that could be guessed -- the criminal is introduced suddenly in the last couple of chapters. Still, I didn't pay any money for it, and I didn't have very high expectations, so it was not a complete waste of time.

Oh - what you said in the spoiler - that's cheating! No book bullet there!

>60 rabbitprincess: - Mr Mac and Me is a definite book bullet. I'm trying to figure out what category I can squeeze it into next year. Art?
Have you started The Lost City of Z yet? It's my commuting book. I'm enjoying it so far.

>64 rabbitprincess: I've read some of his railway mysteries, set in the early days of the expansion of the railways in the victorian era. They're OK, but they're not great. Sounds like that's about his level...

>65 cammykitty: I know eh? I was not pleased. Oh well, I am glad to have taken the hit if it means saving you from reading it.

>66 VioletBramble: Art would definitely work! That's the category I put it in. You could also argue for WW1, England, Scotland (for CRM himself), books set on the coast, or even ghost stories, because the character of Thomas Maggs was inspired by a ghost: http://www.theguardian.com/books/2014/aug/16/esther-freud-houses-ghosts-inspired...

Hey, Lost City of Z is my commuting book too! :D I'm at about Chapter 6. It's talking about some of the horrible bugs that live in the Amazon. Yuckity yuck yuck. All very interesting though.

>67 Helenliz: I started the first in the railway mystery series but couldn't finish it. Lost interest in the characters. Pity, because the premise is good.

I'm one that actually enjoys the railway series, it's his others that I can't get into.

I'm finally catching up with your reviews and enjoyed seeing your thoughts on Jamaica Inn. I'd read this when I was much younger and recently brought my copy back from my parents' house. I hope to reread it soon.

>69 mysterymax: Which one in the railway series did you like best? Maybe I'll keep an eye out for it at the library.

>70 mathgirl40: Hope you enjoy! :)

A review to start off the Canadian Thanksgiving long weekend:

The Lost City of Z: A Tale of Deadly Obsession in the Amazon, by David Grann

Category: Starter for Ten
Source: World's Biggest Bookstore, Toronto
Rating: 4/5
Review: http://www.librarything.com/review/101873124

I read this for the October GeoCAT and really liked it. And now I have to read The Lost World, by Arthur Conan Doyle.

Happy Thanksgiving! It means that ours will be coming up in a month - how fast does time actually go??

>71 rabbitprincess: I enjoyed the first one, The Railway Detective. The second one, The Excursion Train, I thought was even better. I didn't like the third one, The Railway Viaduct as much. That's all I have read so far, but do intend to keep going with the series.

Happy Thanksgiving, RP! I am still waffling about The Lost City of Z. I will probably get around to it someday but right now... still waffling. ;-)

I have finished and posted my review on Pied Piper. What a great story, I loved it.

>73 -Eva-: Thanks, Eva! I couldn't believe it was Thanksgiving already. Now the stores will be champing at the bit to put up all their Xmas decorations!

>74 mysterymax: OK, I'll keep an eye out for The Excursion Train. I could have had a bit of First in Series Syndrome with The Railway Detective, so maybe the second book in the series will suit me better.

>75 lkernagh: Thanks, Lori! Lost City of Z has an extensive bibliography at the back; perhaps something listed there might be of greater interest!

>76 DeltaQueen50: Thumbed! Great review. I'm probably closer to 4 stars but I agree with your thoughts. I finished it on the bus this afternoon and will write my own review tomorrow.

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In the meantime, a review of an eagerly anticipated book on my part.

A Spy Among Friends: Kim Philby and the Great Betrayal, by Ben Macintyre

Category: Amazing Grace
Source: library
Rating: 4/5
Review: http://www.librarything.com/review/112786425

Now that Macintyre has finished with the Second World War, it's off to one of the most famous stories of the Cold War: Kim Philby and the Cambridge Five (sounds like a good name for a rock band). Fans of Macintyre will enjoy, even if the story is probably more familiar than the stories he unearthed in his previous books. And the afterword by John le Carré, who was in the Service at the same time as Philby, is interesting.

>77 rabbitprincess:
Christmas decorations are already starting to appear here - and we've not even gotten to Halloween! :(

>78 -Eva-: - Same here, although they are trying to hide them down side aisles! ;-)

>78 -Eva-: Yup, found some Christmas decorations for sale in Target on October 7.

I've been trying to ignore the Halloween stuff in stores until closer to the date. A number of homes around here have been decorated for a while now - I suspect those with young children. But, much as I love the season, it is still far too early for Christmas.

I don't mind when the Christmas stuff appears too early, though my mom gets furious and complains every time she sees it. Maybe I don't mind because I'm one of those people who starts buying presents in October. In fact, one year I was done with my Christmas shopping before Halloween. No, I'm not super organized, I just can't stand being in the stores or malls in December.

>78 -Eva-: Booo!!

>79 lkernagh: How sneaky of them!

>80 christina_reads: The only early sign of Christmas I accept in stores is cranberry ginger ale at the grocery store. Yum!

>81 VivienneR: Especially since yesterday we broke a high temperature record! It doesn't feel anywhere near Christmas.

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Judy (DeltaQueen50) and I recently read this book together, and I'm very glad we did. I must also thank PawsForThought for bringing it to my attention in the first place. (So I guess this could also have counted as my Book Bullet read for the RandomCAT!)

Pied Piper, by Nevil Shute

Category: Parade's End / To the Ends of the Earth
Source: Chaptigo, via gift card
Rating: 4/5
Review: http://www.librarything.com/review/93427187

This book is for you if you like stories of ordinary people doing extraordinary things, especially in the Second World War.

>82 mstrust: That sounds like a sensible plan! Actually I have technically started my Christmas shopping as well... I wanted to buy Caitlin Moran's novel How to Build a Girl and needed another book to get up to free shipping, so I decided to buy my mum The Beat Goes On: The Complete Rebus Stories, by Ian Rankin.

I'm eager to find out how Caitlin Moran does with fiction. I have that on my list to pick up when I find a copy.

Great review of Pied Piper, RP!

I actually bought my first Christmas present this week. I would love to get my shopping done early. It's the only part of Christmas that I don't enjoy.

>83 rabbitprincess: So you are enjoying warmer than usual temperatures too. On Tuesday we had a get-together with friends and sat outside eating pizza and then playing cards all afternoon. Hard to think of Christmas right now.

>86 DeltaQueen50: Christmas shopping is my favourite part of the season. I just wish I was better at choosing the perfect gift.

>80 christina_reads:
How funny, that's exactly where I saw mine.... :) Next to the big bags of candy corn.

>85 RidgewayGirl: I'm really looking forward to it. She was in Toronto in September for an event, but unfortunately it did not line up with my own recent trip there.

>86 DeltaQueen50: Thanks! Yeah, I am not crazy about the shopping either. I like wrapping the presents though.

>87 VivienneR: Only for a bit! Tuesday was grand, but Wed and Thu were gross, humid and rainy. It's cooler now and I like the weather a lot better.

>88 -Eva-: Serve some candy corn in a Christmas-themed bowl! :P

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I just realized that I've finished my CAT challenges for this month! Yay! Still have to finish Rob Roy for the group read though. I keep saying I'll get down to it on the weekends, but so far other things have been distracting me (such as library books with short deadlines).

I Married a Dead Man, by Cornell Woolrich (originally written under the name "William Irish")

Category: Sherlock / TTSS
Source: borrowed from mathgirl40
Rating: 5/5
Review: http://www.librarything.com/review/112139173

Basically this is 4.5 for the story itself and an extra 0.5 for the excellent writing. I am not sure I would read it again, but it is absolutely fantastic and definitely worth reading once. The suspense is very well done and Woolrich uses some excellent stylistic devices to heighten the atmosphere. Here's an example:
What a place to live, she thought dimly.
What a place to die, she thought remorselessly.

Many thanks to mathgirl40 for the book bullet and for the loan! :D

Star Trek: The Next Generation / Doctor Who: Assimilation2, Volume 1, by Scott Tipton (I'm amazed the touchstone worked)

Category: The Hobbit / STID, subchallenge "read a Star Trek book"
Source: library
Rating: 3/5
Review: http://www.librarything.com/review/113318141

I think mamzel mentioned this one? Somebody did. Anyway, I liked the story but found the artwork a bit distracting. Still, I decided to request Volume 2 from the library because I want to know what happens next!

Ya, I have I Married A Dead Man on the shelf! I'm glad that you liked it so much.

I'm glad to hear how much you liked I Married a Dead Man! I too found this book to be extremely suspenseful and atmospheric.

BB taken for I Married a Dead Man!

I absolutely love Cornell Woolrich but haven't read I MARRIED A DEAD MAN yet. So on the To Read pile it goes.

I did try Woolrich a long time ago and didn't much like him but it may be time to give him another chance.

Just to let you know I am thinking about all of you up north.

Yay! Glad to see more takers of the book bullet ;)

>94 hailelib: I wish you luck whenever you decide to try again! He's also had a lot of his books turned into movies.

>95 mysterymax: Thanks. Yesterday was a very long and overwhelming day.

It's been a chaotic past couple of days here in Ottawa. As you may know, on Wednesday a soldier was shot at the National War Memorial, while guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. He subsequently died of his injuries in hospital. The gunman then headed to Parliament Hill and actually gained access to the main Parliament building, where he opened fire but fortunately did not kill anyone else before he was himself killed by the Sergeant-at-Arms, Kevin Vickers. The whole downtown was in lockdown, including my office, for a good portion of the afternoon, and it was difficult to tell what was actually going on -- news reports were confused and contradictory, and people were unquestioningly repeating "facts" from Twitter. But my experience pales in comparison to what it must have been like for people actually at the memorial when it happened, and particularly the dead man's fellow guard (there are two on guard duty at the Memorial). I hope he will receive counselling and support in the coming days.

I happened to be downtown this afternoon and was lured to the Memorial by the sound of bagpipes. The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders are the unit currently providing guards for the Memorial, and they were just doing a changing of the guard/standing down for the day. Just hearing the bagpipes was enough to move me to tears, as was the sight of floral tributes surrounding the entire Memorial. A sizeable crowd was also there to pay their respects. It was heartening to see everyone coming together to say "We will remember you and carry on."

A very sad day indeed. I had my Twitter feed open on my work computer during the day to track developments since the news broke out here on the west coast as I was heading into work. I saw the Globe and Mail Youtube footage when it posted and that was quite the 'oh, geez' moment. One thing that did concern me over the course of the day as events were unfolding was that people were posting police movements in Ottawa while they were still dealing with the situation. People really need to understand that there is a huge difference between social media news reporting and the transmitting of information that is potentially detrimental to active police efforts trying to deal with a live situation. All I can say is "Brain cells people, please use them." Sorry for the rant but so frustrating to witness.

It was heartbreaking to learn of the events that have unfolded in Canada over the last few days. The soldier that was killed by the hit and run driver in Montreal and then the terrible events that unfolded in Ottawa yesterday. I am heartened to see that these attacks are seeming to bring out our patriotic feelings and strengthen our resolve.

>95 mysterymax: Thank you for thinking of us.

>97 rabbitprincess: Your account of today's events at the Memorial was enough to move me to tears too. This week was a sad one for Canada but as >99 DeltaQueen50: says, it has strengthened our patriotism and resolve.

>98 lkernagh: I completely agree! Those people really put the Twit in Twitter.

>99 DeltaQueen50: Indeed. Especially when all the party leaders hugged each other the next day in the House. (Of course, my next thought is "Why can't they be that nice to each other ALL the time?!")

>100 VivienneR: I imagine this year's Remembrance Day ceremonies will have few dry eyes as well.

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This weekend I plan to catch up on some outstanding books. I have an appointment with my shamefully neglected Rob Roy, and I've written two reviews of library books.

The Night the Rich Men Burned, by Malcolm MacKay

Category: Fortysomething (it is actually a thriller but my general fiction category is a bit thin, so I'm putting it there instead)
Source: library
Rating: 4/5
Review: http://www.librarything.com/review/112961617

MacKay continues to explore the Glasgow underworld after the events of his Glasgow Trilogy. If you liked that, you might like this as well.

Lock In, by John Scalzi

Category: Star Trek / Hobbit
Source: library
Rating: 4/5
Review: http://www.librarything.com/review/113027467

Interesting concept, amusing narrator, quick read.

I'm glad you're ok, rabbitprincess. Sounds like you were right in the middle of it all. As for me, I actually was 'locked out' since I brought my son to a dentist appointment at 9h30. I had no idea why everything was so quiet when I got back around 11h (I didn't listen to the radio or tv before getting back to work).

Well, I couldn't get inside the building, and who knew how long the lock down would last, so might as well go back home, right? Except the bridges were also closed, with police officers stopping every car and looking into everyone's trunk. What should have taken 10 min took 1h30. At least, all the other drivers were very patient. Plus, I had my Kobo and made some headway with Rob Roy.

>102 paruline: I heard that all the bridges were closed and I wondered how people who live and work on either side would get home. I understand now that traffic was allowed to cross, just very, very slowly. Another excellent reason why one should always carry a book to read!

I'm glad to hear that everything is OK with you, rabbitprincess. My thoughts were with all my friends (online and otherwise) in Ottawa on Wednesday. It must have been a terribly scary and stressful experience.

>102 paruline: Yikes! That would have been a painful drive home. Glad you had the Kobo with you.

>103 DeltaQueen50: Indeed! And keep extra snacks on hand.

>104 mathgirl40: Thanks. I appreciate being thought of :) It was certainly stressful but fortunately we were never in any significant danger.

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This weekend was mostly spent reading and catching up on library DVDs. I highly recommend Locke, starring Tom Hardy. It's a great example of a one-man show, set in a car on the M1 motorway in pretty much real time, with other characters appearing as voices on the phone. It's an excellent use of 84 minutes.

I also finished my French category, Dunkirk. Yay!

La grammaire est une chanson douce, by Erik Orsenna

Category: Dunkirk
Source: library
Rating: 5/5
Review: http://www.librarything.com/review/112819362

An utterly charming book about the joys of language. Only in French though. Would love to see an equivalent volume in English.

Apparently the book was translated into English as "Grammar Is a Sweet, Gentle Song". Amazon at least has it under that title.

>106 IrishHolger: Nice! I'm adding that to the Xmas list, and my review. Thanks for finding it!

Yesterday I attended a reading by Esther Freud at the International Festival of Authors and got my copy of Mr Mac and Me signed, which was very exciting. Her reading was great, too. I liked knowing exactly where in the story her excerpt was located. She was reading with three other authors who were all interesting in their own ways, but I hadn't read their books beforehand.

On Saturday I am planning to see David Nicholls at the Festival, so in preparation I read his brand-spanking-new book Us: A Novel, which is very difficult to get the touchstone for. (This iteration of the title keeps bringing up To Kill a Mockingbird for some reason. But if I type just "Us", the Nicholls is not listed as an option at all.)

So, review.

Us: A Novel, by David Nicholls

Category: Cabin Pressure, ep "Ipswich" (the protagonist grew up in Ipswich)
Source: Book Depository, because I am impatient and did not want to wait for the book to be released in Canada
Rating: 4.5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/113177435

I love David Nicholls, so I was probably going to like this book. I thought it a bit too long, which is why the rating is not a full five stars, but there was a lot to enjoy. I particularly liked the narrator's observations on art appreciation, and the bits where he tries to speak French are hysterical. There were even a few moments that caught me off-guard and nearly made me cry in public. Job well done, David Nicholls!

Oh, good. I looked at the Nicholls book in the bookstore the other day but thought I'd wait on getting it until I heard someone weigh in on it.

>108 rabbitprincess: You've reminded me that I really need to read One Day, which has been sitting on my shelves for a while!

>109 RidgewayGirl: Of course I worry about overselling it. It's huge but there are lots of short chapters, so it is easy to pick up and put down. Normally I would have hoarded it for a rainy day, so that is what I would advise. (The only reason I read it now instead of later was the IFOA event, which is in a few hours.)

>110 christina_reads: I hope you like it!

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How is it November already? Also, how is it snow weather already? We had some flurries this morning but they do not appear to have stuck on the ground. Winter is coming, though.

October recap

I felt more bogged down with my books this month. Probably frittered away more time than usual on the Internet. There were also movies to watch and family events to attend. Still, nine books is not too shabby:

Five Dead Canaries, by Edward Marston
The Lost City of Z: A Tale of Deadly Obsession in the Amazon, by David Grann
A Spy Among Friends: Kim Philby and the Great Betrayal, by Ben Macintyre
Pied Piper, by Nevil Shute
I Married a Dead Man, by Cornell Woolrich
Star Trek: The Next Generation / Doctor Who: Assimilation2, Volume 1, by Scott Tipton et al.
The Night the Rich Men Burned, by Malcolm Mackay
Lock In, by John Scalzi
La grammaire est une chanson douce, by Erik Orsenna
Us, by David Nicholls

My favourite book of the month was I Married a Dead Man. Top-notch suspense and excellent writing to boot.

My least favourite book of the month was Five Dead Canaries, primarily because of the ending. However, that at least eliminates one series from my too-long list of series to check out ;)

Of my October plans, only Rob Roy remains unfinished. I did make some headway on it last weekend but of course forgot to bring it with me on my trip to Toronto.

Currently reading

The Guards, by Ken Bruen -- I borrowed this from my parents and am trying to finish it this weekend so I don't have to take it home again with me.
Being Wrong: Adventures in the Margin of Error, by Kathryn Schulz -- Borrowed the e-copy via Overdrive. Also convinced my brother to borrow a physical copy from our hometown library. Muahaha!
Airframe, by Michael Crichton -- Reading for the Go Review That Book group. Love all the technical details.
And of course I'm still reading Rob Roy and The Arabian Nights. My goal will be to eliminate both of these from next month's recap ;)

November plans

GeoCAT: Vintage Murder, by Ngaio Marsh -- set in New Zealand. I've also unearthed an Arthur Upfield novel at my parents' place, called Murder Down Under. Since it is set in Australia it would also qualify.
MysteryCAT: Beware This Boy, by Maureen Jennings -- the second in Jennings' Tom Tyler series, which is set in Shropshire during WW2.
RandomCAT: The Martian, by Andy Weir -- Bought this for my BF for his birthday, with the full intention of reading it myself as well ;)
Group read: No new ones, just finishing off Rob Roy.

One library book I hope to get to this month is Red or Dead, by David Peace, which is about Liverpool FC. I am hoping that as an introduction to Peace's work it will be less grim than the Red Riding quartet.

It snowed in South Carolina today.

I can't remember if this has been mentioned before, but there is an excellent 1950 movie based on Cornel Woolrich's I Married A Dead Man. It stars Barbara Stanwyick and is really worth your time if you get a chance to track it down. Apparently the 1996 romantic comedy, Mrs. Winterbourne, starring Ricki Lake and Brendan Fraser is also based on the book. I haven't seen that one yet.

Catching up on your thread RP. Lots of interesting reading you have had going on. I was wondering if you were going to host another Christmas Murder Mystery this year? Last year was tons of fun.

>112 RidgewayGirl: Eek!

>113 DeltaQueen50: Apparently it's called No Man of Her Own. It sounds very good! Barbara Stanwyck was excellent in Double Indemnity. And the BF might like it as well; he is an aficionado of classic movies.

>114 luvamystery65: I can definitely host another Christmas Murder Mystery read in December! A fun twist/extension of it might be to read any books we received LAST Christmas and haven't read yet ;)

>115 rabbitprincess: Sounds perfect to me because I received a copy of Larry Watson's Let Him Go last Christmas and who is the author for December's American Author Challenge over in 75? Yep! Whoop! Count me in. I've been perusing the library for Christmas Murder mysteries and I've saved a couple of books on a wishlist.

You're the best!

I love the idea of challenging ourselves to read books we received last Christmas this December. I have one that I am already planning on and I am sure I could come up with at least one or two more!

>115 rabbitprincess: I received Death at Sandringham House for Christmas last year and I haven't read it yet. It's on the top of my list for December!

>116 luvamystery65: My pleasure! Glad to hear you've been looking for books to fit the theme already! ;)

>117 DeltaQueen50: And of course my suggestion was in no way inspired by my actual bookshelves... *looks around innocently*

>118 cbl_tn: That one's even set at Christmas, so it's a double whammy! :D I just might join you in a (re-)read.

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On Saturday I met David Nicholls, who was at the International Festival of Authors reading from his latest novel, Us. He also took part in a brief interview, then was available to sign books afterward. I got him to sign my copy of Starter for Ten, which is one of my favourite books (once a university quiz player, always a university quiz player). He is quite nice.

Saturday I also managed to finish a book I'd borrowed from my parents so that I could give it back. (And then I promptly borrowed two more.)

The Guards, by Ken Bruen

Category: Sherlock / TTSS
Source: somewhere in the British Isles; can't remember whether my parents bought it in Ireland or at one of the bookstores in Wigtown (Scotland)
Rating: 2.5/5
Review: http://www.librarything.com/review/112512390

The subtitle has it right: this is much more "a Jack Taylor story" than "a mystery that Jack Taylor has to solve". I found the book worked better while travelling; the rhythm and pacing made it a good commuting book, as opposed to something you can curl up with at home. I will probably end up checking out another volume in the series eventually, but not for a while.

>68 rabbitprincess: Thanks for posting the link about the Esther Freud book. That house sounds very interesting.
Re: the bugs in the amazon mentioned in The Lost City of Z -- I keep remembering the tiny little bees that lick your eyeballs. I'll take stink bugs over eye licking bees any day.
Glad to hear that you are okay after the happenings in Ottawa.

Yes, so sad what has happened up there. The bagpipes would've had me in tears too.

Bet you had a great time at the International Festival of Authors!

I'm glad to find out that David Nicholls is not a big old jerk. Although authors are on their best behavior at these events.

>119 rabbitprincess: Sad to see someone else not liking one of Ken Bruen's Jack Taylor books.

Glad you're ok. There's nothing more mournful and beautiful than the bagpipes.

I would probably join you in reading books from last December. I have 3 on my Kindle - although I'll probably save one for next year's BingoDOG category of read a book you've owned for over a year. :-)

>120 VioletBramble: It sure does! Her husband tweeted a link to the article and said "I lived with a ghost and didn't know it!" Imagine finding that out after the fact.
And yes, I agree, eyeball-licking bugs are disgusting.

>121 cammykitty: I sure did! The Freud and the Nicholls events were the only ones I attended, but they were well worth the trip.

>122 RidgewayGirl: Haha I was more worried about seeming like a ditzy dork than whether he would be a jerk.

>123 AHS-Wolfy: I'm sad too! If it helps, 2.5 was an average... the second half was more like a 3, once I got into its rhythm. Starting series at the beginning can be hit or miss for me. I'm going to try again.

>124 BookLizard: Yay! Glad to see other takers of this idea :)

Ha! I know. Beforehand I have several witty observations and clever questions, but when they actually have my book in hand, I turn into a social incompetent. It's just variations of, "I love your book, hurr hurr."

It was nice to read your report on IFOA. Wish I could have gone! By the way, have you heard about the Toronto International Book Fair that's being held Nov. 13-16? I think this is a new event.

Thanks for offering to host the Christmas Murder Mystery group read! I really enjoyed that last year.

rabbitprincess, I immediately thought of you this morning when I saw this on CBC:

>126 RidgewayGirl: Exactly! And I am always so graceless about handing them the book or whatever, just THWACK on the table before they've had a chance to look at it properly.

>127 mathgirl40: I did see a sign for the book fair when my parents dropped me off at the airport on Sunday. It sounds interesting!

>128 VivienneR: Hee hee! :) I love it and am very happy for them!

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One quick review; I have two more coming.

Being Wrong: Adventures in the Margin of Error, by Kathryn Schulz

Category: Starter for Ten
Source: library, Overdrive
Rating: 4/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/113320759

I like that this book falls under my category named for a trivia movie. It's a good book, very interesting if you like pop science sort of books.

I had a moderately favorable opinion of Being Wrong when I read it 3 years ago but I don't remember much about it now.

Have you seen that Amazon is selling both Cumberbatch and Sherlock calenders for 2015?

>130 hailelib: I wrote a lot of quotes down while I was reading, although I'm not sure how many of them I'll remember without looking at my commonplace book.

>131 mstrust: I heard that the calendars existed! One of my friends is promising/threatening to get me a Cumbercalendar for Christmas.

****

I've been in a thriller frame of mind lately, although I'm starting to put some of them in my General Fiction category to even things out. Basically if the library files it under Fiction instead of Mystery, it should go there.

Airframe, by Michael Crichton

Category: Fortysomething
Source: Friends of Library and Archives book sale 2013
Rating: 4/5
Review: http://www.librarything.com/review/102194458

This aviation enthusiast found much to love about Airframe. Lots of nerdy technical details and a fast-paced storyline. I wonder how a modern version would play out; after all, this was published in 1996.

The Fourth Protocol, by Frederick Forsyth -- DNF

Category: Fortysomething
Source: Friends of Library and Archives book sale 2014
Rating: 1.5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/112662813

If I'd been able to finish this, it might have been a 2-star. There was just too much story for the book to hold, and the narration contains several excessively long explanations of things that I'd rather read about in non-fiction (e.g. the structure of MI5). I have read and enjoyed The Day of the Jackal, so I'm not about to count Forsyth out just yet, but for this book I think I'll stick with the movie version, if I can ever find it.

I've been meaning to get to Airframe so this is a good push!

>133 mysterymax: Hope you like it!

****

Remembrance Day here in the capital was pretty nice weather: forecast was 12 degrees and sunny. An estimated 50,000 people attended the ceremonies downtown, which is a pretty hefty number but not as many as I was imagining. I watched the ceremonies on TV instead of going downtown as I usually do, and being there in person is definitely better. The service is bilingual, usually English remarks followed by French, and it was annoying to have the interpreter talking over the French when the English had literally just been provided. Also, it seemed as though the interpreter had not been given copies of the various speeches -- the interpretation differed slightly from what the English had been. I should have thought it would be easier to just read the English again at a rhythm that would match the French being spoken.

But the ceremony itself was very good, as usual. Princess Anne was in town to rededicate the Memorial, which has had some new inscriptions added, so that was a nice bonus. And of course the weather held up nicely for the crowds. Last year it snowed. I remember that well!

I had the day off today so spent the afternoon knitting, and finished a pair of socks. I also wrote a review:

Beware This Boy, by Maureen Jennings

Category: Parade's End / To the Ends of the Earth
Source: library
Rating: 3.5/5
Review: http://www.librarything.com/review/113412431

This series, featuring DI Tom Tyler and based in Shropshire, England, during WW2, is a good historical mystery series (which is why I read it for the November MysteryCAT). This installment takes place at a munitions factory in Birmingham. I'd recommend it if you like WW2 homefront stuff and if you read and liked the first book.

Very sad and unexpected news: Warren Clarke, aka Andy Dalziel from the TV series "Dalziel and Pascoe" (based on the books by Reginald Hill), has died at the age of 67.

http://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-30023012

Besides the incomparable Andy Dalziel, Clarke made an excellent Mr Boythorn in the Gillian Anderson adaptation of Bleak House, featured in the cast of the 2010 miniseries Red Riding (adapted from the Red Riding Quartet by David Peace), and played Alex's droog Dim in the classic A Clockwork Orange.

Adding Pictures of Perfection to the on-deck pile and watching some D+P on iPlayer. RIP Mr. Clarke. Sixty-seven is too young these days.

That is sad news. I first saw him on an episode of George Gently, then our local PBS began playing Dalziel and Pascoe. I saw "A Clockwork Orange" just a few months ago and was surprised to recognize him as Dim. What a spectrum of roles!

>135 rabbitprincess: I saw him first in the 1976 adaption of Our Mutual Friend, and whenever he turned up elsewhere I thought: you know this face, but from where? He was always great, and yet the name eluded me. I shall have to watch out for the new Poldark season now...

Having never watched the show, I only yesterday learned the correct pronunciation of "Dalziel," thanks to coverage on the BBC.

That is indeed very sad news. My family and I have been fans of Dalziel and Pascoe since we recognized Dalziel as Warren Clark who played in Clockwork Orange all those years ago.

>136 mstrust: Indeed! He was one of those actors who fits in just about anywhere. He even played Winston Churchill a couple of times (and looked quite right for the part).

>137 MissWatson: Interestingly, the role he played in Our Mutual Friend was later taken on by David Morrissey in a 1998 adaptation, and both Warren and David appeared in Red Riding.

Poldark looks interesting too -- after reading Jamaica Inn, I'm all about Cornwall! Have you read the books?

>138 RidgewayGirl: Yeah, it's not an immediately obvious pronunciation!

>139 VivienneR: Technically that was the first thing I saw him in, but I didn't recognize him at all once I got into Dalziel and Pascoe. Of course, I did watch most of A Clockwork Orange through my fingers, so that is probably not surprising.

Feeling a bit blah about some of my books. I have amassed a large on-deck pile and naturally don't want to read any of them at the moment! But on the plus side, this weekend I did manage to finish off The Arabian Nights.

Vintage Murder, by Ngaio Marsh

Category: Sherlock/TTSS
Source: Friends of Library and Archives sale
Rating: 2/5
Review: http://www.librarything.com/review/78336380

I read this for the November GeoCAT (NZ author, and set, albeit thinly, in NZ as well). It was one of those very talky theatre mysteries that Marsh sometimes writes. Her theatre atmosphere is great as always, but there's just so much blather to get to the solution. I nearly gave up without finding out whodunnit.

The Arabian Nights, ed. Orton Lowe

Category: Fortysomething
Source: EVM
Rating: 3/5
Review: http://www.librarything.com/review/90486902

This was for the group read and may be a bit of a cheat because it's a heavily abridged children's edition, but overall I think it hits the highlights. What I liked best was how matter-of-fact everyone in the stories was about magic and enchantment. "Oh, that guy's wife was turned into a mare? I see. So how was your weekend?" I also liked reading from the edition I did because it belonged to my grandfather when he was a lad (I think he would have been about 11 when it was published).

I haven't ever watched Dalziel and Pascoe but I am at book 7 Deadheads. So very sad.

They are remaking Poldark? What! Where have I been?

Whoop!!! I need to re watch the original.

>140 rabbitprincess: I watched the Poldark series on TV way back when, and I may have read one or two of the books in German translation then. Time to go book-hunting.

>142 luvamystery65: It is very sad indeed. He was excellent in the show. "An Autumn Shroud" is the most recent episode I watched.

Yep apparently Poldark will be out next year. Aidan Turner (of Being Human and The Hobbit trilogy) is the title character.

>143 MissWatson: Happy hunting! There appear to be about a dozen in the series, which surprised me.

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Backlog of reviews ahoy!

League of Denial, by Mark Fainaru-Wada

Category: Starter for Ten
Source: library, via Overdrive
Rating: 3/5
Review: http://www.librarything.com/review/113728662

Can't remember why this ended up on my wishlist, but I ended up reading it via Overdrive recently. Eye-opening.

Richard II, by William Shakespeare

Category: August: Osage County -- COMPLETED
Source: Bearly Used Books, Parry Sound, ON
Rating: 4/5
Review: http://www.librarything.com/review/112147103

For God's sake let us sit upon the ground
And tell sad stories of the death of kings:
How some have been deposed, some slain in war,
Some haunted by the ghosts they have depos'd,
Some poison'd by their wives, some sleeping kill'd;
All murder'd: for within the hollow crown
That rounds the mortal temples of a king
Keeps Death his court...

I read this primarily because of the excellent BBC adaptation, and I've decided that watching the play first is really the best way to go with Shakespeare, at least for me. But even if I hadn't, I think this play would have been fairly easy to follow, at least for one of the history plays (which always slow me down).

The Lake District Murder, by John Bude

Category: Sherlock/TTSS
Source: library
Rating: 3.5/5
Review: http://www.librarything.com/review/113793270

The library ordered this, and I immediately requested it based on the title. Good title, very handsome edition (published by the British Library Crime Classics), and an enjoyable plot. I finished this in two days. It's a bit talky, as some of the Golden Age mysteries tend to be, but there's a fair bit of action as well. If you like this time period, it may be worth checking out.

Possible BB for The Lake District Murder -- off to check it out! I do love Golden Age mysteries. :)

>144 rabbitprincess: I read Richard II last year and really liked it. I can't remember if I saw the BBC version first or read the play first, but liked them both. And Richard III has become one of my "Shakespeare's Top Five".

>145 christina_reads: I hope you like it! I'm glad the British Library is reissuing some of these long-forgotten books. The December 2014 title is a Christmas story called Mystery in White: http://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/distributed/M/bo19155884.html

>146 mstrust: Going to have to read that one soon as well, given that Mr. C here is playing the title character in the second batch of Hollow Crown plays!

****

Here's a BB I took from christina_reads.

Jackaby, by William Ritter

Category: Star Trek / The Hobbit
Source: library
Rating: 3/5
Review: http://www.librarything.com/review/113754550

When I first requested this from the library, I'd forgotten that it was billed as YA (even though Christina did mention it in her review). This took me slightly by surprise when the book arrived. It's billed as a sort of crossover between two wildly popular fandoms: the title character looks and acts a lot like Sherlock, but investigates supernatural occurrences that would not be out of place on Doctor Who. However, while the character is supposed to be Sherlock, he struck me as being more similar to the Eleventh Doctor. Those who are going through Matt Smith withdrawal may therefore want to check out this book.

>144 rabbitprincess:
Aidan Turner as Poldark? Count me in!

Congrats on finishing The Arabian Nights. I just finished the second tale of Sinbad, so there's no way I'll be finishing it this year! You're right about the magic. Pray to Allah, and anything can happen. ;) I'm supposing the children's addition deleted a bunch of the references to Allah, but everything bad happens because the character forgot him and everything good happens because they had faith.

>147 rabbitprincess: Oooh, I didn't know that! Now I'll be waiting for the BBC to run that series.

>148 -Eva-: Enjoy! ;) http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/02911/Aidan-Turner_2911511b.jpg

>149 cammykitty: Yes, they probably did trim a fair number of those references. They did, however, include a glossary defining such terms as "genie" and "scimitar".

>150 mstrust: :D http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/03058/ben2_3058463b.jpg
Probably 2016.

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Time seems to be slipping away from me! So many books, etc. I did finally finish one that was close to coming due at the library and that could not be renewed.

Murder Underground, by Mavis Doriel Hay

Category: Sherlock/TTSS
Source: library
Rating: 3/5
Review: http://www.librarything.com/review/113793223

I saw the cover in the library catalogue and immediately placed a hold. London Underground? Yes please! Once again the British Library scores with its Crime Classics imprint. The book itself was all right. I did prefer The Lake District Murder though.

I just got The Santa Klaus Murder by Mavis Doriel Hay. I'm hoping for a good Christmas mystery.

>151 rabbitprincess: Oooh, doesn't Benedict look evil and unwashed.

>151 rabbitprincess:
There is something special about a tricorn hat, isn't there!

>152 VivienneR: I'll be interested to hear what you think! She has one other book, Death on the Cherwell, which I've requested from the library.

>153 mstrust: I wonder whether this movie will create a lot of Ricardists among the Cumberbatch-fan demographic.

>154 -Eva-: Indeed! It's so distinguished-looking.

****

It's December on Monday and I've barely done a thing related to Xmas. The idea of barricading myself in the house with books and tea and edibles for a month holds increasing appeal for me. Not that I don't like my friends and family, I just find myself increasingly impatient with the hustle and bustle of the holiday season.

But I was in no way impatient with this excellent book:

The Martian, by Andy Weir

Category: Star Trek / The Hobbit
Source: Chaptigo, bought for the BF
Rating: 4.5/5
Review: http://www.librarything.com/review/107793405

This came into our house as a birthday present for my BF, who is a Mars enthusiast. (Yes, I bought the book fully intending to borrow it when he was finished.) And miraculously we both read it in the same calendar year, thanks to the November RandomCAT. I really enjoyed it, skimming only a few of the more detailed discussions of mathematical calculations -- the rest of the technical stuff was interesting.

The idea of barricading myself in the house with books and tea and edibles for a month holds increasing appeal for me.

Sounds like the perfect December plan to me!

Glad to see you enjoyed The Martian. I think I would have given the book a slightly lower rating if I had read it as opposed to listening to it.... listening I was able to blank out a bit over the stuff you skimmed over while reading. ;-)

"barricading myself in the house"

That'd be so great. Unfortunately, there's that pesky job-thing I have to go to (I do enjoy getting paid, after all), but we're off almost two weeks for the holidays, so hopefully there'll be time for barricades. I'm going to have overseas people visiting, so I guess I'll have to be slightly social too. :)

Barricading sounds wonderful - why does real life get in the way?

>156 lkernagh: I do like being able to skim the less interesting parts! My BF is a slower reader than I and finds it more difficult to skim, so I probably liked the book more than he did.

>157 -Eva-: Yes, jobs do have a habit of getting in the way! Enjoy your vacation -- two weeks sounds lovely.

>158 LittleTaiko: I know right?

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So tonight we watched Curtain: Poirot's Last Case on PBS. I was devastated. Despite knowing exactly what would happen, because I've read the book and this was a fairly faithful adaptation, I was in no way prepared for the emotional impact. David Suchet was Brilliant with a capital B in what was a worthy send-off for Hercule Poirot.

17 workdays left in the year!! I like my job and have great coworkers, but nothing beats getting to stay in my PJs all day! :)

>160 -Eva-: I agree! Could have done with more PJ time today; didn't get to bed until about midnight because I was still wound up from Poirot.

****

This is probably the last book I'll finish for November:

A Tale Etched in Blood and Hard Black Pencil, by Christopher Brookmyre

Category: Fortysomething
Source: library
Rating: not rated
Review: http://www.librarything.com/review/114037769

I love this title, and I love the tales of primary-school hijinks, but for some reason I've been feeling restless with this book and don't have the inclination to continue. So back to the library it goes, and perhaps it will work another time.

November recap

A better reading month this month. I had some very satisfactory reading, and I was also marginally better about abandoning books that aren't working for me. Fourteen books, only two of which were abandoned.

The Guards, by Ken Bruen
Being Wrong: Adventures in the Margin of Error, by Kathryn Schulz
Airframe, by Michael Crichton
The Fourth Protocol, by Frederick Forsyth
Beware This Boy, by Maureen Jennings
Vintage Murder, by Ngaio Marsh
The Arabian Nights, ed. Orton Lowe
League of Denial: The NFL, Concussions and the Battle for Truth
Richard II, by William Shakespeare
The Lake District Murder, by John Bude
Jackaby, by William Ritter
Murder Underground, by Mavis Doriel Hay
The Martian, by Andy Weir
A Tale Etched in Blood and Hard Black Pencil, by Christopher Brookmyre

My favourite book of the month was The Martian. I revelled in the technical discussions and enjoyed Watney's sarcastic sense of humour.

My least favourite book was The Fourth Protocol. Too many narrative threads and too much time dedicated to the ones I didn't find interesting.

Of my November plans, I read all of the CATs but have yet to finish Rob Roy. On the plus side, I did finish reading The Arabian Nights!

Currently reading

One Under, by Graham Hurley -- I think DeltaQueen50 put this one on my radar. It's the 7th book in a series featuring Joe Faraday and Paul Winter, and it's good so far.
Death at Sandringham House, by C.C. Benison -- Getting a head start on my December MysteryCAT book, which is also a shared read with cbl_tn. This is also a reread, which I am quite enjoying.
Napoleon's Buttons, by Penny Le Couteur -- I borrowed this from my brother several months ago and wanted to get it finished so that I can bring it back at Christmas. The chemistry information is very interesting, but I am now skeptical about the accuracy of some of the other information because at one point the book talks about "rabbits and other rodents" , which is INCORRECT, because rabbits are NOT rodents. They are part of the order Lagomorpha (rodents belong to the order Rodentia). So I'm a bit stalled on this book now.
Red or Dead, by David Peace -- This is a massive novel about Liverpool FC and is definitely less grim than the Red Riding Quartet! It's not for the faint-hearted though; only football enthusiasts need apply. I've renewed it once already and will probably have to renew it again.

And then of course there's Rob Roy…

December plans

GeoCAT: Mrs Pollifax on Safari, by Dorothy Gilman -- set in Zambia. Will be reading this one at my parents' place, since that is where my copy is currently living. As a reread, it will make a nice undemanding holiday read.
MysteryCAT: Death at Sandringham House, by C.C. Benison -- the second in a series of mysteries featuring Canadian housemaid Jane Bee, who sleuths on behalf of Queen Elizabeth II. Cozy and fits the Christmas mystery group read as well.
RandomCAT: Dead Man's Mirror, by Agatha Christie -- I started reading the Poirot stories at the age of eight and wished I could be a detective just like him. Sadly I am probably much more of a Hastings than a Poirot.

I've also borrowed a fair number of library books (surprise surprise). One of them is Strange Loyalties, by William McIlvanney, which I definitely have to get to. I'm also hoping to read The Wake, by Paul Kingsnorth, and John Cleese's new memoir, So, Anyway…. These are the ones I probably can't renew, so priority goes to them.

I may also have gone on an Overdrive binge, but fortunately two of the three books I borrowed are also available at my parents' place, so I can continue reading them there if I have to return the ebooks before my vacation starts.

>161 rabbitprincess: Shame the Brookmyre didn't work out for you this time. It's not one of my favourites of his work either.

>163 AHS-Wolfy: Still waiting for the new Jasmine Sharp* and I guess I thought this might scratch the Brookmyre itch for a bit. Apparently only Jasmine will do. Also I have a LOT of books out at the moment -- sometimes it gets to be too much and I just have to drop everything and return it half-finished or unread to clear the decks. Will probably try again in the new year.

*just checked the catalogue and I'm 7th on 3 copies!

I thought the Jasmine Sharp trilogy was excellent. The only one of his books that I've not yet read is Bedlam (though it's sitting on the tbr shelves as we speak so probably won't be too long before I get to it). I am a little apprehensive that he's returning to his Jack Parlabane series as I did think it went on one book too far before he moved on to other things. Hopefully he will breathe new life into the character and it's not just a case of re-treading old ground.

I loved A Tale Etched in Blood and Hard Black Pencil, but it is the only Brookmyre I've read and I adored it for the language and the description of school life, which seemed to me to be tremendously true, from the boy coming home to show off his new word to the way football was played at recess, with each player fighting for possession of the ball regardless of which team they were on. But it hasn't been a book I've pushed on people.

Congratulations on completing The Arabian Nights
I won't be reading Red or Dead because I hate football -- all types-- but your explanation reminded me that I want to add The Red Riding Quartet to my wish list. I've watched the DVDs three times and I'm still confused about exactly what is going on. I'm hoping the books will be clearer.

>165 AHS-Wolfy: Good to know about the Parlabane series. I've read the first one, Quite Ugly One Morning, and that was definitely very interesting. (I also cracked up at the 1996-era technology -- oh, floppy disks. Good times.) I'm considering trying the Angelique de Xavier series next, once I have no more Jasmine Sharp books to read.

>166 RidgewayGirl: The school scenes were indeed very vivid and felt so true! My main issue was that the present-day bits were a little too seamlessly integrated with the past bits, so it would take me a few seconds to re-orient myself in time whenever there was a switch. Of course that could just have been me.

>167 VioletBramble: Thanks! And I will be interested to hear what you think of Red Riding. The DVD is on my watch-at-some-point list. Haven't read the books yet, although I did skim an excerpt of the first one in the library's online catalogue. One of these days!

****

December has started off respectably well.

One Under, by Graham Hurley

Category: Sherlock / TTSS
Source: library
Rating: 3/5
Review: http://www.librarything.com/review/113412401

I returned this to the library half-finished, but not because it was bad; rather, I just had too many library books to get through and all I really wanted from this book was to determine whether I'd keep reading the series. Answer: yes I would. Faraday and Winter make an interesting duo, and I enjoyed reading about Portsmouth. It was fairly undemanding as police procedurals go, so it would make a nice light read on occasion (light by my standards).

Death at Sandringham House, by C.C. Benison

Category: Third Star
Source: gift
Rating: 3.5/5
Review: http://www.librarything.com/review/82844763

Christmas in Norfolk with the Royal Family is interrupted with a murder in the village hall near their estate at Sandringham. The Queen happens to be in the village hall at the time the body is discovered, as does housemaid Jane Bee, leading them to combine their detective resources and investigate the crime. I love this series, although this book is probably the one I reread the least often. Still, a fun diversion and a time capsule of the mid-1990s.

I really need to fit The Martian into next year's challenge. It sounds like an excellent read.

I didn't get a chance to see the final Poirot but I'm glad to hear it lived up to expectations. David Suchet is, to me, synonymous with Poirot. Nobody else fits the part like he does.

>169 mathgirl40: I liked it, although it probably does rely more on plot than on character. My BF thought it was a bit too "hey, I've done the research!", but he can't skim-read like I can so maybe that was a factor for him too :P

Re Poirot, I agree completely. I am also glad that it was a faithful adaptation; some of the more recent adaptations of both Poirot and Marple have been a bit too, shall we say, "freewheeling" for my tastes.

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It's been a quiet first weekend of December. I've been finishing up books and making ruthless decisions about my library books. I decided to return The Lost World, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, unread because the mood for it had passed, and I'm returning The Wake, by Paul Kingsnorth, because I'm already reading a massive novel that requires total concentration and I don't have room for two at present.

I've also been planning my books for the HistoryCAT next year and deciding what books I will read for my mystery category, which is going to have a Bingo card in a (probably futile) effort to filter my mystery reading. Sometimes planning is just as fun as the actual reading!!

On the DVD front, my BF and I watched Elephants Can Remember on Saturday -- my request of the last season of Poirot finally came in from the library. The adaptation featured Queen Anne from the recent Musketeers miniseries as well as Jack Taylor, which was amusing. And today I watched A Most Wanted Man, starring Philip Seymour Hoffman. It was very good and I was able to follow along despite not having read the book first. (I did try, but I was not in the right mood at the time.)

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I also wrote a couple of reviews.

Napoleon's Buttons, by Penny Le Couteur

Category: Hawking
Source: borrowed from my brother
Rating: 3.5/5
Review: http://www.librarything.com/review/108365722

Some interesting facts, lots of cool chemistry diagrams, and an easy-to-read writing style. However, rabbits are NOT rodents, and I am very cross that this book made that assertion. I know this is a chemistry book, not a biology book, but still, that's a fact that should be easy to check.

Strange Loyalties, by William McIlvanney

Category: Sherlock / TTSS
Source: library
Rating: 3/5
Review: http://www.librarything.com/review/114227163

This is the third Laidlaw book and features his most personal case yet: investigating his brother's death. I'd definitely suggest reading at least the first book in the series, Laidlaw, beforehand so you have an emotional stake in the character. This is more of a Sunday-afternoon read, at least for me; I was reading in a hurry imposed by library deadlines and it may have suffered a bit in my estimation as a result.

I decided to return The Lost World, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, unread because the mood for it had passed

Don't you just hate that? I've decided to return 3 books myself because I'm just not feeling them right now. That's the bad part about requesting popular books from the library - by the time some of them come in, you forget why you requested it in the first place. Of course, when I buy books, I don't feel pressured to read them right away, so I sometimes never get to them.

I really liked this latest PBS adaption of Elephants Can Remember with Zoe Wanamaker. And that happens to be the one Christie book that I didn't like at all.

>171 BookLizard: Yes! Especially if the library is very forward-thinking and puts things On Order months in advance. Right now I have a hold on a book that I placed back in May. But it's the latest Jasmine Sharp novel by Christopher Brookmyre, so that one will definitely get read :)

On a related note, I find it disappointing to wait months for a knitting book to come in and then discover that none of the patterns are to my taste.

Surprisingly, The Lost World earned a last-minute reprieve. I decided to take it along for the bus this morning (intending to drop it off on my way home) and got properly sucked in. So I renewed it again!

>172 mstrust: It was a good adaptation, as far as I could recall. My BF and I giggled though at the clue about Queen Anne actually being Canadian instead of American, since she said "zed" instead of "zee" and "clark" instead of "clerk". I have not known a single Canadian to say "clark" unless they are quoting a costume drama :P Also, Canadians would know about St Paddy's Day, even if they don't attend a big parade.

My least favourite Christie is Passenger to Frankfurt, which bored me to tears. Also, my edition had a scary spider on the cover.

Ooh, Benedict made an appearance on the Nerdist podcast! http://www.nerdist.com/pepisode/nerdist-podcast-benedict-cumberbatch/

rabbitprincess, have you seen this: http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2014/12/10/magazine/100000003273672.app.html?...

Benedict's kiss literally made my heart go flippy-floppy. I thought of this challenge when I saw it! :-)

>173 rabbitprincess: - I'm with you on Passenger to Frankfurt being my least favorite Christie. I remember it being incredibly boring. I'm really dreading rereading it as I make my way back through her books. If it's as dreadful as I remember, I may just end up skipping it.

>176 LittleTaiko: If you have already read it once, it wouldn't be too terrible to skip it this time. I didn't like any of her espionage stories either.

>175 sturlington: Ooooooo! I'd seen pictures but not the video footage. Wowza! Thank you for thinking of me! :D

>176 LittleTaiko: I'd totally skip it. I'm probably going to get rid of my copy, too, also because it has a scary spider on the cover.

>177 VivienneR: I like that she took a gamble and tried, but Passenger is definitely not worth rereading for me.

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To continue the theme of Benedict and books, he's reading an abridged audio production of The Surgeon's Mate, by Patrick O'Brian, over on BBC Radio 4 Extra this month. It's part of the Patrick O'Brian Centenary. Episode listing can be found here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b04t98s0/episodes/guide

I will probably be starting my Capaldi Challenge before the episodes finish airing, but I might pop back over here and count this audio dramatization as my Aubrey/Maturin book for the military category. The first episode was great; I liked that it was set in Halifax Harbour, Nova Scotia ;)

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A couple of reviews.

The Lost World, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Category: Fortysomething
Source: library
Rating: 4/5
Review: http://www.librarything.com/review/114608864

I very nearly returned this book to the library unread. However, the day it was due, I took it with me as my bus book, just to read a part of it before I took it back. Ended up getting sucked right in and having to renew the book again. However, it was very quick work and it was a lot of fun. I'm glad I gave it another chance.

Dead Man's Mirror, by Agatha Christie

Category: Sherlock / TTSS
Source: the Big Box o'Christies
Rating: 3/5
Review: http://www.librarything.com/review/70473820

Three novellas: Dead Man's Mirror, Murder in the Mews, Triangle at Rhodes. Of these, the only one I haven't watched the TV adaptation of is Dead Man's Mirror. It was also the longest and (to me) least interesting of the three. Not a bad read but not something to go out of your way for.

I can't believe it's already going to be Christmas next week! Where does the time go??

Here are a couple more reviews.

So, Anyway..., by John Cleese

Category: Starter for Ten
Source: library
Rating: 4/5
Review: http://www.librarything.com/review/114344835

This memoir covers the early days of John Cleese, from childhood to the beginnings of his comedy career. Those seeking information about the Pythons should probably look elsewhere, but if you want to know more about Cleese himself, this is a very interesting book. I read it in a day.

Pictures of Perfection, by Reginald Hill

Category: Sherlock / TTSS
Source: All Books, Ottawa
Rating: 3/5
Review: http://www.librarything.com/review/105782728

This is one of those books where I felt like I was missing something and doing the book a disservice by continuing to read when I clearly wasn't in the right frame of mind for it. Going to have to reread it sometime, and not on the bus.

>179 rabbitprincess: Christmas always sneaks up on me too because I try to ignore the months of music, ads, movies, etc. we're bombarded with leading up to it. I went shopping yesterday and enjoyed a quiet day at the mall, ignoring only the most obnoxious music.

>180 mamzel: I am impressed that the mall was quiet! Fortunately I've been able to do a fair chunk of shopping online, and the closest mall to my place doesn't get too much traffic after about 6:30.

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My best friend gave me a highly nerdy and therefore awesome Christmas present:



The 12 Doctors, 12 Stories box set! I knew she was getting it for me but that did not diminish my joy at seeing it, especially because it comes with postcards of the covers! Gorgeous.

http://www.bookdepository.com/Doctor-Who-12-Doctors-12-Stories-Eoin-Colfer/97801...

Awesome present, awesome friend! Merry Christmas.

That's a good friend!

My finger hovered over the buy button for that set but I resisted. I hope I don't regret the decision.

> 178 I'm glad you kept reading The Lost World. Professor Chalenger is a great character.

> 179 I received So Anyway for my B-day back in November. Thanks for the review. I am a John Cleese fan as well as a Monty Python fan so I will enjoy reading it even though it doesn't cover his time with Python.

>181 rabbitprincess: Wow! You've got a great best friend!

>182 mysterymax: It is indeed awesome! Merry Christmas to you as well :D

>183 mstrust: She sure is!

>184 mamzel: Maybe Santa will surprise you with a copy! ;)

>185 craso: Oh gosh yes, he was great! I imagined him being played to great effect by Brian Blessed (although apparently John Rhys Davies has played him too, which I also approve.

Happy belated birthday! I hope you like the book. It was very interesting.

She is indeed great! She also stencilled me a T-shirt with a glow-in-the-dark rabbit on it (a reference to the Sherlock episode "The Hounds of Baskerville").

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I'm on Christmas vacation as of today, so this represents the last book of my 2014 Category Challenge:

The Far Side of the Dollar, by Ross Macdonald

Category: Sherlock / TTSS
Source: Xmas gift 2013
Rating: 4/5
Review: http://www.librarything.com/review/104608000

I read this as part of the Xmas group read, as a book I received last Christmas but hadn't read yet. It was great! Archer is at his best as a person in this one, concerned about doing the right thing as opposed to what is expedient. A somewhat Christmassy sentiment I suppose.

So I didn't manage to complete all of my categories, but made a darn good attempt. Will see if I can squeeze some of them into next year's challenge.

Have a merry Christmas vacation! It was fun following your reading this year.

Have a good vacation. I look forward to following your 2015 thread!

Merry Christmas! Have fun!

>181 rabbitprincess:
Excellent gift!!

>181 rabbitprincess: - I bought the e-book versions as they were released in the anniversary year. I still need to get the 12th. The box set looks pretty.
Have a great vacation. Happy Holidays!

>187 VivienneR:: Thank you! And a merry Christmas to you as well :D

>188 mathgirl40:: Thanks! Just finished a book so will be posting it shortly.

>189 craso:: Merry Christmas to you too!

>190 -Eva-:: It sure is!

>191 VioletBramble:: I'm so glad they were released in physical format. Ebooks are still not really my thing. I love the accompanying postcards and now have to figure out a way to display them!
Happy Holidays to you too!

Merry Christmas!!

Have a great Christmas, RP!

Merry Christmas!

Nerdy presents are the best! Challenges are fun when they don't become a commitment and I think you did a great job with your challenge.

Stopping by to wish you a Merry Christmas and best wishes for 2015!

>193 LittleTaiko: Merry Christmas to you as well!

>194 DeltaQueen50: thanks, and have a merry Christmas!

>195 mstrust: Merry Christmas and a happy new year!

>196 lkernagh: Thanks! Merry Christmas to you too!

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Today has been a busy day at home. Wrapped presents, decorated the tree, helped my mum make cookies (both actual baking and quality control stages), and finished off a pair of socks while watching the Doctor Who marathon on Space.

Wishing all of you a very merry Christmas and may Santa send lovely books your way! :)

Merry Christmas RP!

>198 cbl_tn: Thanks! Merry Christmas to you as well :)

Oooo! Love the 12 doctors set! Merry Xmas!!!

Just wishing you a very Merry Christmas and a wonderful year ahead. I'm looking forward to all those book bullets!

>200 cammykitty: It's so shiny! And it still has that new-book smell :) Merry Christmas!

>201 VivienneR: This challenge is a regular fusillade! ;) thanks for the well wishes :)

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As an aside to my "Cabin Pressure" category, the last ever episode of the series, "Zurich", aired in two parts on BBC Radio 4 on Dec 23 and 24. It's available on the BBC website.

Also, a complete box set of the whole series (plus bonus features!) will be available in January via Amazon UK.

Merry Christmas and a Happy reading New Year!

Merry Christmas RP!

Happy Holidays, RP.

>203 dudes22: Thanks! The same to you!

>204 lsh63: Merry Christmas!

>205 RidgewayGirl: Happy holidays to you as well!

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A Cabin Pressure Christmas carol from the episode "Molokai": http://youtu.be/IqWlrNsPkGc

Merry Christmas!

Thank you for the entertaining thread and all the Cumberbatch eye candy! Have a happy new year and here's to a wonderful, satisfying 2015 reading journey!

Happy New Year!

>207 inge87: Beautiful stained glass window! :D

>208 ELiz_M: My pleasure! Thanks for the fireworks! Happy New Year :D

>209 hailelib: :D Happy New Year!!